Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, visited China on Tuesday to discuss potential support from Beijing in ending the war with Russia, a country that has strengthened its ties with China since the conflict began.
China positions itself as a neutral party in the war, claiming it does not provide lethal aid to either side, unlike the United States and other Western nations.
However, its deepening “no limits” partnership with Russia has led NATO members to label it a “decisive enabler” of Moscow’s war, which Beijing has never condemned.
This visit, lasting until Friday, marks Kuleba’s first trip to China since the war started in February 2022.
Kyiv indicated that Kuleba’s discussions would focus on “ways to stop Russian aggression” and “China’s possible role in achieving a sustainable and just peace.”
China has tried to position itself as a mediator in the conflict, sending envoy Li Hui to Europe for several rounds of “shuttle diplomacy.”
Earlier this month, President Xi Jinping told Hungary’s Viktor Orban that global powers should help Russia and Ukraine resume direct negotiations. Orban’s visit to Beijing was described as a “peace mission.”
Last year, China issued a paper advocating for a “political settlement” to the conflict, though it faced criticism from Western countries for potentially allowing Russia to keep much of the territory it seized in Ukraine.
Beijing denies claims of supporting Russia’s war effort, maintaining that its stance is “open and above board” while accusing the West of escalating the conflict through arms shipments to Kyiv.
Despite being a close political and economic ally of Russia, China did not attend a peace summit in Switzerland last month, protesting Moscow’s exclusion.
During that summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Beijing to seriously engage in developing peace proposals.
Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, noted that Kyiv might seek to “convince China that it should participate in a second peace summit” this week.
“Beijing can try to extract a price, even for sending somebody like Special Envoy ambassador Li Hui,” Gabuev said.
Since the conflict began, China has provided crucial economic support to Russia’s isolated economy.
This partnership has drawn increased scrutiny from the West, with Washington pledging to target financial institutions aiding Moscow’s war effort.
The United States and Europe have also accused China of selling components and equipment necessary for Russia’s military production.
Gabuev suggested that Beijing might “try to leverage this Ukrainian interest in a second peace summit… in order to get itself off the hook for deepening sanctions.”
Another analyst, Bjorn Alexander Duben, an assistant professor at China’s Jilin University, mentioned that China might be eager to play a larger role in mediating the conflict, which is becoming increasingly costly for Chinese businesses and interests.
“China is undoubtedly sustaining its overall support for Russia,” Duben told AFP.
“But there are signs that Beijing is getting increasingly wary of the diplomatic, political, and economic cost of its ongoing de facto support for Moscow,” he added.
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